AI-powered genome sequencing data holds the key to more precise, preventative and cost-effective health care—and Canada’s competitive edge in health innovation.
News release
Ottawa, ON – March 5, 2025 – Genome Canada today announced the launch of the Canadian Precision Health Initiative (CPHI) with $81 million in Government of Canada investment. A total investment of $200 million is expected, including co-funding from industry, academia and public sector partners.
The CPHI will build Canada’s largest-ever collection of human genomic data—more than 100,000 genomes representing the diversity of Canada’s population.
This landmark collaboration will help transform health care in Canada by unlocking genome sequencing data for more personalized, preventative and cost-effective care. And it will sharpen Canada’s edge in the highly competitive health innovation sector.
Powered by AI and shaped by a diverse coalition—from across the public sector, industry, academia, health care, patient groups, Indigenous organizations and non-profits—this initiative aims to generate maximum impact.
In a Canadian first, the CPHI will build a public genomic data resource that reflects the nation’s diverse population. This will ensure precision health innovations benefit all and positions Canada as a global leader in representative genomic data collection.
Together, CPHI partners will build a coordinated precision health community across regions and provinces—and connected to global efforts—that will:
- Enhance health care options for all Canadians.
Enabling more precise, personalized, predictive, preventative and cost-effective healthcare options (“precision health”) for Canadians. - Drive economic growth.
Empowering Canadian scientists and companies to accelerate development of world-leading, next-generation health solutions and clean economic growth. - Strengthen health security and data sovereignty.
Increasing access to Canadian genomic data needed to combat major public health threats, including pandemics.
The future of health care is personal…and data driven
Genome sequencing is revolutionizing health care by providing the genetic blueprints—and comparative data—needed to more accurately and effectively diagnose and treat health issues. But to realize the full potential of this revolution, we need vast amounts of high-quality genomic data that can be shared and securely used by researchers and clinicians across our federated country.
The CPHI will deliver the datasets needed to accelerate precision health solutions that reflect Canada’s diverse population. To maximize impact, the CPHI will:
- Build a Canadian alliance for genomics in health to align efforts across Canada’s complex, federated health and research ecosystems.
- Mobilize and advance the utility of genomic health data, working with academia and industry to ensure they have the right data assets and AI-powered tools to deliver life-saving solutions.
- Implement data governance and policies ensuring the ethical and responsible use of genomic data.
The community mobilizing around the CPHI will take Canada’s leadership in precision health, life-sciences innovation and clinical trials to the next level.
An example of how the CPHI in will support future innovation in health, initiatives like the McGill Genome Centre-based Pan-Canadian Genome Library and the Canadian Platform for AI in Health—just launched by DNAstack to accelerate the use of AI-driven software tools for genomics and health—will be able to leverage data from CPHI and elsewhere to advance genomics in health research.
Research and industry organizations partnering with Genome Canada to launch the CPHI:
- Sequencing projects will be funded through the six regional Genome Centres in the Canadian Genomics Enterprise (Genome BC, Genome Alberta, Genome Prairie, Ontario Genomics, Génome Québec, Genome Atlantic) with co-investment from their respective government funders.
- Global DNA sequencing technology leader, Illumina, will provide sequencing support to deliver the 100,000 whole human genomes, enabling the initiative’s large-scale data output and aligning CPHI with other national population genomics initiatives.
- The Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Cancer Research will co-fund CPHI sequencing supporting cancer prevention.
- Additional long-read sequencing will be supported by global DNA sequencing technology leaders Oxford Nanopore Technologies and PacBio.
- Approved sequencing centres for CPHI projects include: CGEn, supported through funding by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (sites: The Centre for Applied Genomics, BC Genome Sciences Centres, McGill Genome Centre), Centre d’expertise et de services (Génome Québec), Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Genomics Program, Centre québécois de génomique clinique
Quotes
“The Canadian Precision Health Initiative is a true Team Canada effort uniting visionary scientists and leaders from across sectors on a shared mission to redefine health care for our country. The excellence and ambition of Canada’s genomics ecosystem are evident as we embark on this landmark collaboration together.”
— Rob Annan, President and CEO, Genome Canada
“Access to genomics data is essential for advancing knowledge and catalyzing economic growth. The Canadian Precision Health Initiative will do just that by harnessing the power of AI to drive breakthroughs in precision medicine. This initiative will help advance the Canadian Genomics Strategy, driving health innovation, strengthening Canada’s life sciences sector, and creating new economic opportunities. By bringing together government, industry, and researchers, we are positioning Canada as a global leader in cutting-edge health solutions that deliver real results.”
— The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Learn more
Genome Canada has already invested more than $715 million and leveraged more than $1 billion of co-funding in health genomics research projects, including:
- All for One funds projects across Canada that advance precision health for patients and build data-sharing capacity for practitioners.
- The Large-Scale Applied Research Project supports teams working to improve health outcomes and delivery through improved diagnostics and drug efficacy for children.
- The Genomics Applications Partnership Program has funded 57 precision health projects, from improving pathogen surveillance to improving cancer treatments and diagnoses.
- The Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network connected agencies to track viral origin, spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2, characterize the role of human genetics in COVID-19 disease and inform public health decision-making during the pandemic.